Home ministry digs deeper into Aam Aadmi Party's funding

Union home ministry (MHA) has sought further clarification from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on its sources of funding.

According to MHA sources, AAP has multiple bank accounts in many Indian states and the ministry has sought details of transactions carried out through these accounts to check any violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) that governs any funding from foreign sources.

Under the FCRA, political parties are barred from taking any foreign donations.

In October, the Delhi high court had asked the MHA to conduct an inquiry into charges that the party had received foreign funding, which is barred under the FCRA for a political party.

The HC had asked the ministry to complete its probe by December but now it has sought extension of the deadline to complete the probe.

AAP has maintained that it has not violated the FCRA while receiving any donation for the party. The party claims it does not accept anonymous donations as well as maintains a list of its donors on its website.

"It is an unnecessary hounding. We are ready to face any action if we have done any wrong," said an AAP spokesperson while denying that there was anything wrong with the donations received by the party and would be providing whatever information it can to the home ministry.

The MHA had sent a questionnaire to AAP earlier also but after the reviewing the replies given by the party, the ministry has sought another set of clarifications.